The Demise

May 1, 2016
The Cartel 6: The Demise is not only couple Ashley & JaQuavis' latest entry in their sturdy, best-selling Cartel series about the Diamond crime family but also their debut title with a mainstream publisher. The story picks up right where The Cartel 5: La Bella Mafia (2014) left off, with the head of the family, Carter, hovering between life and death in Las Vegas from a bullet to the chest. His brother, Monroe, is at his side, peeking out the window at their former ally Baraka's dozens of armed henchmen, who are waiting with blood in their eyes. All of the other Diamond family members, along with friends, enemies, and those who fall somewhere in between, are quickly swept up into the subsequent tumultuous events and their cataclysmic consequences, especially Carter's wife, Miamor, whose murder-mama temper touched off the fiery conflict. The story's turns and surprises, paired with its unflinching studies of emotional pain and physical pleasure make this an excellent, exciting read for newcomers, longtime Cartel followers, and all urban-lit fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)